By Nicole Acevedo, Assistant Editor
“Burnout” is a term that most — if not all — students have become acquainted with. Having a jam-packed schedule with classes, work, internships, and athletics can leave you feeling exhausted and mentally drained. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and overstimulated, which eventually leads to the breaking point. Here are a few ways to help you set boundaries with yourself in order to avoid this fatigue.
- Don’t respond to text messages right away: Nowadays, we’re basically expected to be at someone’s beck and call because of technology; however, it’s okay to not get back to someone instantly. For example, if you already have a lot on your plate and a friend texts you to help them with their own stress load — it’s totally fine to express that you have a lot going on at the moment, and you can’t offer that extra support to someone else. Communication is important when it comes to setting boundaries, and taking time to respond to these messages allows for you to feel more in control of your time and energy.
- Don’t take calls after a certain time: Much like the first tip, this is a good boundary to set with yourself and friends/colleagues. Some scenarios are exempt from this (say you have a particular job that requires an ‘on-call’ schedule, then this obviously wouldn’t apply); however, if you have people who constantly call you after 8 P.M., it’s acceptable to let them know that you’re no longer available after that time to talk on the phone.
- Prioritize your downtime: Now this is a big one for college students because we’ve been conditioned to believe that if we’re taking time for ourselves, that we’re “lazy” or “unproductive.” This is not the case. Personal time is imperative to maintaining your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Even if you can only afford 20 minutes a day to sit and watch your favorite show, scroll on TikTok, or rest your eyes — you should do it! Your well-being matters, and it’s up to you to advocate for yourself.
- Be realistic with the workload you’re capable of taking on: It’s easier than we think to bite off more than we can chew, especially if you’re a student who’s involved in sports or extracurricular activities. If you are starting to feel panicked or overwhelmed with the amount of work you have to do, that’s a huge indicator that you’re about to reach your limit. Express to those around you that you cannot take on another responsibility, and that you would appreciate it if someone else could do it. It’s important to remember that we’re still human, we can’t do everything, no matter how much we wish we could.
- Make sure the people around you are bringing positive energy into your life: The people you surround yourself with affect you so much more than you may realize. If you’re constantly around individuals who gossip or have toxic conversations, try to remove yourself from that environment. Taking ownership of your energy will prevent you from feeling emotionally drained and allow you to allot that energy elsewhere.
Setting boundaries can be horrifying — trust me, I know — but it’s crucial if we want to keep ourselves from feeling dead after only a few weeks of being back at school. Western New England University started back up just over a month ago, and within the first week of classes, I already felt like I was drowning.
It’s always been difficult for me to refuse extra work or actually sit and relax after a productive day because I put a lot of pressure on myself to constantly be doing something. Working on putting my mental and emotional well-being before academics is a personal goal for me this year, I hope all of you consider making it one as well.
